PBA: Alapag threat to Yap's All-Star 3-pt crown

Puerto Princesa City - Jimmy Alapag is one of the players to watch – and perhaps the biggest threat to king James Yap’s bid to defend the three-point shootout crown. No wonder, Alaska coach Tim Cone, mentor of the South selection in the annual Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Star Game, chose "The Mighty Mouse" over "Big Game" James. "I should be partial to Willie (Miller)," Cone told GMANews.TV in jest. "But honestly, I think Jimmy Alapag has one of the best strokes in the business and is a good rhythm shooter, which is why I’m picking him to win the three-point shootout." "Still, you’re going to see me rooting for Willie once the action starts." Alapag, one of the best clutch performers in the PBA, considers this year’s participants as the strongest batch he has seen. "You’ve got James (Yap), Dondon (Hontiveros), Willie (Miller) and Ren-Ren. But it will be the player who will get his rhythm going who will most likely win the contest," said Alapag, Asi Taulava’s co-most valuable player (MVP) winner in the 2004 PBA-All Star Game. Alapag is a two-time three-point shootout champion, winning the event in 2003 and 2005. Two-time MVP Willie Miller considers his participation as an opportunity to play against the best. "It has a strong field and it’s definitely an honor competing against the best players," said Miller, regarded as one of the best players to close out a game. "James, Dondon and Jimmy, they’re the players to watch." Hontiveros, one among the top three three-point field goal leaders in the league, believes it will be a free-for-all battle and even hinted that players such as Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine and Air21’s Ronjay Buenafe have a good shot of pulling off an upset in one of the most anticipated sidelights in the All-Star weekend. "There are different kinds of shooters. There are players who are rhythm shooters and there are players who are streak shooters," said Hontiveros, one of the key players of the San Miguel Beermen. "James is a rhythm shooter and he won last year because he got his rhythm. Ren-Ren is a streak shooter that once he doesn’t get his shot going, he won’t have a chance of winning," added Hontiveros. – Rey Joble, GMANews.TV